Automatic feeder for threshing-machines, &amp;c.



G. 0. LONG. AUTOMATIC FEEDER r03 THRESHING MACHINES APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1913.

Patented Sept. 15, 1911 1 T B B K 4 S T E E H S 3 G. 6. LONG. AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOR THRESHING MACHINES, w. I

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1913.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awuwto'a I Qtkomwz.

G. G. LONG. AUTOMATIC FEEDER FOB THBESHING MACHINES, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1913. 1,1 10,950. Patented Sept. 15, 1914,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 I] F 6 2 1 X 7 JJF r Swvmdoz IET all whom it may concern:

PATENT QFFIGE.

UNITED STATES Be it known that I, GUY C. Lone, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Timber. Lake, in the county of Dewey and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Feeders for Threshing Machines, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the provision of novel means whereby loose grain or grain in bundles may be automatically conveyed from a wagon or truck to a threshing machine or other similar mechanism and delivered Without any attention upon the part of the operator other than depositing the bundles or grain upon the receiving apron or table.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for lifting the grain from the conveyors to the operating instrumentalities of the threshing machine and to provide means whereby the conveyers will be automatically rendered inoperative a .should the grain be fed too rapidly to the .25

lifting mechanism.

Other objects of the invention are to provide improved means whereby the lifting devices \vill properly engage the grain, While, at the same time, they will be automatically shifted so as to avoid injurious contact with the conveyor or the parts immediately adjacent the same, and, finally; the invention has for its object to improve, generally, thev construction and arrangement of the several parts of a feeding mechanism to the end that the durability and efiiciency of the same may be increased.

All these stated objects, and such other incidental objects as will hereinafter appear, are attained in such mechanism as is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter fully described. y The invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended to the description.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is plan View of the lower portion of the feeder with the conveying aprons and parts of the operating mechanism removed; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the lifting mechanism; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective. view of a portion of the lifting mechanism; Fig. l is a detail, perspective vievv of p 1rts of the e "ating chain shovvingthe same separate. out in their proper specification. of Letters Iatent.

- Application filed. July 25,

em: o. tone, or TIMBER Lana, sou'ris: DAKQTA.

A TOMATIC FEEDER For, rnnnsnrne-necamns, at.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914):. 1913. Serial 1%. 731.235.

2 relative positions; Fig. 5 is a similar view of i another portion ofthe elevating chain.

' In carrying out my present invention, l. employ atruck which is intended to be connected to the front axle of the threshing ma- .chine and be supported at its rear end by the said axle and be supported at its front and upon its own axle. This truck comprises the longitudinal side sills 1 having their front and rear ends resting upon and rigidly secured to bolsters 2 and 3, respectively, the rear bolster being connected with the said side sills by braces 4. In the rear sill 3, l1 secure eye-bolts 5 which are engaged in eye-bolts 6 secured in the front axle T of the threshing machine so that, While the rear end of the truck will be supported by apparatus may travel readily over an uneven surface u'ithout exerting a breaking strain upon any of the operating mechanism. The front bolster 2 of the truck has a casting S secured thereto at its center and forming one member of a ball and socket connection with the front axle 10 of the truck so that the said axle may readily follow irregularities in the surface of the ground Without affecting the stability of the operating mechanism. Ground Wheels 13 are mounted upon the ends of the front axle and a tongue or draw bar 14 is connected with the axle by eye-bolts 15' in the same manner that the rear sill 3 of the truck is connected with the front axle of the threshing machine.

ross bars 16 are secured to the undersides of the longitudinal sills and extend laterally beyond one side ofthe truck. The laterally extending portions of the cross bars 16 form part of the support for the receiving table or conveyer and to prevent the free ends of the said cross bars giving Way under the Weight of the receiving conveyer and the Weight of the grain deposited. thereon I provide the braces 21 which have their inner ends supported at the side sills l and their outer ends engaged in eyes or hooks on the upper sides of the said cross bars at the outer extremities of the same. A shelf or rail 24 is disposed below and supported from the cross bars or supporting arms 16, and upon this shelf are mounted lifting screws or jacks 33, the upper ends ofwhich are attached to the side bars 3i of the receiving conveyer. It will be readily under' stood that by pro er manipulation the jacks or screws 33 wil be caused to travel up; wardly or downwardly-and adjust the receiving conveyer to the height of the wagon from which the grain is being-unloaded.

The side bars 34 are formed or otherwise provided with bearings to receive the reduced ends of rollers which support the endlessapron 41 constituting the receiving platform or table, and motion is imparted-to. the said apron by a roller 42 which is. disposed within the inner bight of the apron and is rigid with a shaft 43 which extends longitudinally of the truck and is j ournaled in and supported by the bracket which sup- }port the. inner ends of the side bars 34.

The front end of thesaid shaft 43 extends to and throu h a standard 44-which is erectv ed upon thebolster 2, as shown, and a bevel pinion 45 is fixed upon the front extremity of the said shaft and meshes with a similar pinion 46 which is secured upon the inner end of a shaft 47 j'ournaled in bearings 48 se v adjacent t e bolster 2 and risestherefrom.

cured to and projecting from a plate or bracket 49 whlch is secured to the said standard 44 and to an upright 50 whichiS secured ri idly to the side sill 1 immediately A clutch member 51 is secured. rigidly the outenbearin'gfl48 and beyond the said clutch memberaispro'cket wheel 52 is mounted upon the'said shaft and slidable thereon,-

' the said sprocket wheel being constructed said shaft and thence through the described with a cIutch'hub 5 3.adap.ted to engage the clutch member v 51 so that the motion of the sprocket wheel will be transmitted to the gearing to the receiving platform or 0011 veyer. The sprocket w eel with its clutch hub is controlled by a hand lever 54 engag-,

ing an' annular groove in the clutch hub and pivoted at its inner end 55 to a bracket or other support 56 which is secured upon the outerside of the upriht 50. A sprocket chain is trained arming the sprocket wheel 52 and a sprocket pinion sup orted upon the uprights 50 and actuated y the driving mechanism.v i l A sprocket wheel 7 9 is carried by a transverseshaft which is journaled in and ex- 3 tends between the side sills 1. The sprocket 79 is driven directly by the actuating mechani'sm and the shaft 80 is equipped with sprocket wheels 81 which are adapted to engage and actuate the main conveyer, as will be resently set forth. a i The sprocket wheel 79 is slidably mounted upon the shaft 80 and is provided with 'a clutch hub 111 adapted to engage a.clutch member 112 rigidly secured upon said shaft.

The clutch hub 111 is enga ed by a fork, 113

secured to the upper end 0 a rock shaft 114 'journaled in a suitable bracket 115 secured to the outer-side of the sill 1 and having an upon the shaft 47 adjacent the outer side of arm I16 extending inwardly from its lower end. To the inner end of this arm 116 is pivotedthe front end of a connectin rod 117. which extends longitudinally of the truck and hasit's'rear end connected to the elevator presently to be described. It W111 be readily understood that if the said connecting rod 117. be drawn rearwardly, the .arm.116 will be vibrated so that the shaft 114 will be rocked and the fork 113 moved outwardly so that the hub 111 will be dis-- engaged from; the clutch member 112 and the sprocket wheel 7 9 then permitted to run idly upon the shaft 80. As' before stated, the

shaft 80 is provided with sprocket pinions 81 and these sprocket pinions engage chains which carry the main conveyer.

The'main-con'veyer consists of a series of slats 119. extending transversely between the side sills v1, as will be readily understood.v

Theslatsaresecured upon endless sprocket chainsin such a manner that; theywill clear the teeth of thesprocket :wheels 81 and of similar sprocket wheels-. 123 which are engaged by the rear bights of the sprocket chains. v

: @As disclosed more particularly by 1,

the main conveyer; extends under'the inner end of the receiving-conveyer so that the grain deposited upon the receiving conveyor the main conveyer and will be carried rearwardlyto the elevator by the said main conwill be discharged therefrom directly onto veyer. To preventthe grain rolling from the edge of the main conveyer, I secure to the side sill l'ashield 129- consisting of a board or plate extending longitudinally of the sill and havin its rear end turned inwardly over the si asshown at 130, so as to side sills 1. Any grain which might escape the elevator or lifting mechanism as it passes from the main conveyer will be caught in this boot or hopper and will consequently, be saved instead offalling to the ground and being lost. The lifting mechanism consists of an endless conveyer which i is arranged to travel upwardly past the rear end of the main conveyer and into the threshing machine so as to deliver the grain to the operating members of the threshing machine. To support the elevator in proper position relative to the main con veyer, I provide upon the inner sides of the side $1118 1, adjacent the rear end of the-130 lll microns main convc er, the loops or brackets 133 in which are Edited the lower ends of props 134 which have their lower ends shouldered, as illustrated at 135 to fit over the upper edges of the sills The upper ends ofthese props are notched, as shown at 136, to engage trunnions or supporting pins 137 projecting from brackets 138 having sleeves 139 formed on their inner sides to constitute bearings for a shaft 140. The brackets 138 are secured. to the outer sides of side bars 141 and. the sleeves or bearings 139 extend through the 11 per ends of said bars and the front ends or co-actin bars 1&2, the said bars 1&1 and 142 constituting the principal frame members of the elevator. As the truck will not always: be at the same dis tance below the extreme front portion of the threshing machine frame, owing to irregularities in the surface of the ground, I form slots 143 in the frame of the threshing machine so that variations in the relative heights of the truck and the threshin machine may be accommodatel by permitting the shaft and the trunnions or supporting pins 137 which extend through said slots to assume higher or lower positions relative to the main frame. The bars 14.1 are connected at intervals by braces 14%, and to the outer sides of said side bars I secure the sideboards 1&5 which project in advance of the elevator so that the grain taken up by the elevator will not be permitted to slip from the sides thereof. The rear end of the connecting rod 117 is engaged in an'eye 1416 upon the side of the elevator when the elevator is in its operative posi-v tion, so that, should the pressure of the grain fed to the elevatorby the main conveyor rise above a predetermined standard, the elevator will yield and move rearwardly and, consequently, pull upon the said connecting rod 117 so as to move sprocket wheel 7 9 to the position where it will run. idle, as hereinbefore described. v

t will be clear, ,upon reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings, that the side bars 141 may swing rearwardly and upwardly-about the pivotal support thereof in the upper ends of the props 13 i and when the elevator is not in use it is so swung upwardly and rearwardly, and is held in such raised position by a hook or similar device 147 secured upon the th eshing machine frame and adapted to engage the eye 146 on the side of the elevator. The elevator is yieldably held in its operative position by a fork 148 having its stem 1&9 playing'in a socket 150 which is pivotally attached to the threshing machine frame through a link 151 and is provided in its sides with longitudinal slots 152 adapted to be engaged by the ends l' of a pin 153 inserted through the rear end; of the stem 149. Rotation of the stem and its fork within the socket is thereby prei the threshing machine frame.

vented, while. the sliding of the stem within, the socket is permitted. A Spl1ng, 15% s,

coiled around the stem, between the: cross,

bar or shoulder of thefo'rkldS and the end of the socket 150, and this s ring. by its; expansion tends to hold the ork'an d "the;; -1

elevator in their forward operative posi tions. The outer free ends of the forlran; provided with notches 155'ad t d l 75 gage pins 156 on the sides of the elevator frame so as to hold the 6l8Vat0I '1H its low} cred position, while, at the same time, the

tion is necessary. v elevator frame bars 141 and 142 are reduced fork maybe easily releasedwhen such ac';

The meeting ends of thew. I so] and provided with shoulders 157 and 158,..-

respectively, so that the be rs maybe readily folded relative to each other to permit lill'i-l 1 i elevator to be swung into the"in()perafl position. p I Upon the shaft 1&0 are s'ecuredsprocketl 1 pin-ions 159' over which run the endless chains I 160 constituting the carrying members of the elevator, and other sprocket wheels 161 are secured upon a shaft 162 which is journaled and idlcrs 165 are mounted u on thelower forward portion of the thres ing machine frame, as shown. Motion is imparted to the chains 160 from the sprocket wheels 161" which are rotated by the shaft 162, which is equipped at one end with a pinion l66mesh- 100 mg with a. pinion lfil carried by a ';stubshaft mounted in the iside'of' the threshing machine frame and having formed therc-- with a sprocket pinion 168 over whicha' chain 169 is trained. The said chain is also) trained over a sprocket.llOsecured'upon the. shaft of the upper feed bars fif'tlle y threshing, machine and a band" pulley 171 is 1 also secured upon the said shaft and-con? 1 110' part of the threshing machine'soas to rctate the-said shaft in the-usual mannerL-w The shaft 162rotatesin a bearing. consist-:- ing of a sleeve 172 which extends through theend of the elevator frame bar 142 and 's through the side of the threshing machine. frame, indicated at 173. At its outervondnected by a suitable belt with some; moving,

the said sleeve is formed with an annularfiange 174 through which securing bolts 175 are inserted to fasten the bearing rigidly to The grain is carried fromthe per 132 to the threshing machine mechanismby fingers 176 arranged in scriestransvcrsely between thechains 160, and,as a

boot or hop I considerable quantity of the grain is threshed out frcrnthe straw in the handling of the grain and while isbeing conveyed tot-he elevator, I provide buckets or scoops 1'77 1 i which extend between thechains 160 and 134} the slots 186 and, at the same time, movewill bjPOSltlVGlX fed wthreshing machine. I

a Itis thought the operation of myfim proved apparatus will be readily understood from the foregoing descriptionytaken in con nection with the. accompanying drawings.

p the chains 160 are buckets to -"from some lin alternate with the lifting fingers 176, as clearly shown and as will be understood. These buckets or scoops are trou h-like structures having closed ends and. ottoms. and open tops so that as they ride over the bottom of the hood 132 they will take up the dose grain, as will be readily understood on reference to Fig. 2. Some of the links of provided with inwardly projecting tangs or arms 178 and suitable. bolts or rivets are inserted through these arms or tangs and the backs of the scoops or secure the buckets to the chains. The fingers 176 have threaded shanks 179 which are engaged in threaded 0 re-. 182 to fit in sleeves or rojecting laterally inward s of the chains 160. The reduced portions 182 of these rods 181 are also provided with threaded openings 184 duced cylindrical ends bearings 183 and biting fingers 185, corresponding in all respects to the fingers 176,' are enga ed in thesaid openings 184, the shanks 0 these fingers 185 being inserted'through slots 186 formed in the circumferences of the sleeves 183 so that a rotary movement or rocking ".movement of the rods 181 will be permitte and the extent of said movement will be limited by the fingers 185 engaging the ends of ment of the rods longitudinally will be pre.

vented.

Tripping guides 187 are carried by the lower portions of the side-boards 145 of the.

elevator and these tripping guides are so ,ar-r

ranged that-as the fingersmove downwardl position that they toward the bottomof the hood 132 'the fingers 185.will impinge against the said tripping guides and will be swung backwardly toward the chains, and, inas'muchas the said. fingers can have no movement independently. of the rods 181, the rods will be successively rocked so that the entire gang of fingers will be swung backwardly toward the chains. The fingers will thus be moved into such a will not strike against the ottom of the hood 132 and be broken off or possibly damage'the hood. As the elevator triggers chains enter upon their upward run, the fingers will be returned to their operative position, so as to take into the grain, by the 188 engaging the rails 189 which are disposed in rear of the elevator chains and are supported by the cross bars 144 of the elevator frame. The triggers 188 are disposed at-the centers of the rods 181 and are rigid with the said rods and extend from the same at an angle to the fingers. As the chains move past the lower end of the rail 189, the fingers 188 will be successively brought against the said lower end of the rail, as shown in Fig. 2, and the upward movement of the said triggers will be, consequently, momentarily arrested so that the take up penings -'180'in rods 181, the said rods havlng Lthreshed are driv to V may be unloaded directly onto the'r'ec'eiving grain inwardly fingers into 7 such position that they will project'forwardly that thefingers will be prevented from from the -elevator and will portions of the grain asthey move upwardly. The triggers will remainin con; .tactwith' the rail untilthe grain has been; delivered to the threshing -mechani sm,,so I

:swingingfdownwardlyunderjthe" weight of, l

the grain, and loss ofthe grainwill be thereby prevented. To prevent the fingers st'rik ing the feeding pan 190 pxoint first and thereby damaging some 'o'f't frame members 173 below the shaft 162 and e parts, I provide a t'rip plate 191 which extends'between the the sprocketwheels 16L thereon so that' as the fingers move aroundthe upper inner bight of the elevator they will be' brought v lateland'swung rear 9 s5 against the said trip; .w-ardl'y so as to clear t e feeding pan. More? over, this action serves to free the fingersof any straw or grain which-'maytend tooling 7 thereto so that none of the grain will be elevator. 1

n will be'readilynoted'that the sprocket wheels 159 and 161'are so'lo c'a'ted that the upper portion of tially I feeding bars 192 of thethrshing machine so that the grain taken parallel with and close to the usual dragged back with the return run of the 1 the elevator runs substan- I up by'the elevator to and "delivered inthey The wagons containing the grain to be .7

conveyer and the grain, whether it is loose.

ceiving. conveyor and will: then be carried point} 'wherethey 1 i or. in bundles, is 'depositeduponthe" saidre i into the, threshing'inachine-without any further attention .uponthe-partof the operator. 'The receiving conveyer carries the the main conveyer which in turn carries it to the elevator; As the'grain can be carried up 'by the elevator only in quantities de-- termined ,by the capacity of the fingers, if p the conveyers carry the grain to' tliee'levator quantities in excess of such capacity, the

grain'will tend to accumulate between the rear end of the main conveyer'and the lower portion of the elevator, thereby increasing The ability the ressure upon the elevator.

of th eielev'ator to withstand this determined by theJtension. of the which yieldably holds-the elevator toward pressure is which, as before stated, will actuate the arm spring 154 I over and discharges it onto 116 so as to rock the shaft 114 and thereby move the sprocket 79 away from the clutch member 112 so that the sprocket will then run idle and the shaft 80 will remain at rest so that the main conveyor will not move and no grain will be fed to the elevator until the previously fed excess of grain has been taken up by the elevator, whereupon the spring 154 will return the elevator to its operative position and a reverse movement'will be trans mitted to the connecting rod 117 and the shaft 144 so that the sprocket 79 will again actuate the shaft 80 and the conveyer will resume the carrying of grain to the elevator.

' The elevator is driven from a moving part of the threshing machine, as before stated, while the conveyers are driven through power derived directly from the main power belt running between the-threshing machine and the engine.

My improved feeding mechanism may be applied to various forms of separators'and changes in the minor features of construc tion may be made at will to accommodate the mechanism to various types of machines without involving any departure from the scope of the invention as the same is defined in the following claims.

WVhat I claim is 1. The combination of a boot, series of lifting fingers arranged to travel over the bottom of the boot and upwardly therefrom, connections between the series of fingers, means for swinging said fingers to inoperative position as they approach the bottom of the boot, and means for swinging the fingers to operative position as they rise from the bottom of the boot.

2. The combination of a boot, an elevator I frame hung above and extending into the boot, a tripping guide secured to the rear guide of the elevator frame and. extending to near the bottom of the boot, a guide rail secured to the front side of the elevator frame, endless chains mounted on the ele-- vator frame, rocking rods carried by said chains, fingers projecting from said rods and adapted to engage the tripping guide, and triggers projecting from the rod at an angle to the fingers and adapted to ride on the guide rail..

3. The combination of a boot, endless chains moving in proximity to the bottom of the boot andupwardly therefrom, buckets carried by said chains to move over the bottom of the boot, series of fingers carried by the chains and arranged alternately with the buckets, means for rendering 'said fingers inoperative as they 'move toward the bottom of the boot, and means for projecting the fingers to operative position as they move upwardly from the boot. I

4. The combination of an elevator frame,

a tripping guide thereon, endless chainsmounted on the frame, inwardly projecting annular slots, rods journaled in said sleeves,

sleeves on one of the chains provided with l and fingers projecting from said rods, the

fingers at the ends of the rods playing in the said slots and arranged to engage the tripping guide. v j

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

euro. Lose. a 8.]

Witnesses:

V. CEEnnNsoN, A. H. SCHWARTZ.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

